Balanced
by Doverstar
Summary: Sora is napping as usual on the beach, and Kairi offers to 'protect' him from nightmares with her own Keyblade. He notices she's...well, doing it wrong. He becomes her tutor on the spot and fluffiness ensues. Do be gentle, it's my first KH fic. Reviews are adored. Set after Dream Drop Distance.


**(Author's Note: I do apologize for those of you used to me doing fanfics for things like Phineas and Ferb and other Disney things, but I recently stumbled into the world of Disney/Square Enix's magnificent movies of a video game series, Kingdom Hearts, and had to write for Sora {my latest fictional crush} and cute little Kairi. Do enjoy, KH fans, but bear in mind this is my first! And it's set a few months after Dream Drop Distance. ~Doverstar)**

* * *

"Hey! Sora!"

15-year-old Sora's big blue eyes popped open.

Kairi stood over him, pink-brunette hair shining with the late afternoon sunshine. She was smiling faintly, and the reflection of the sun off the ocean waves made her eyes sparkle.

Sora yawned, wondering too late whether or not he had morning breath. Or...afternoon breath. Or evening breath?

That had been some nap. The kind that left you partially sweaty and your mouth all sticky.

He'd dreamt of Roxas' memories in Twilight Town again, of the Struggle competition and the trophy crystals. He could just picture his Nobody smirking triumphantly from inside of him somewhere. He didn't know his 'Other' as well as he sometimes wished he did. But he knew if Roxas was really supposed to be like him, the blonde-haired boy would be triumphant in thinking he could playfully get back at Sora-revenge for all those headaches and flashbacks he'd had when they'd been separated as Sora slept in Castle Oblivion. Ha ha, Roxas. Very funny.

Back to Kairi.

His friend was leaning over him. "You fell asleep again, huh?"

"Uh...Nahhhh." He sat up. "Just...you know. Resting my eyes."

"Heh. Right. You're sunburned all over, silly."

"Gimme a break, Kairi." Sora gave her that impish smile, the one that was said to make everyone he encountered feel the Light, even those in the deepest Darkness.

For her it was more like fireflies and bonfires dancing in his eyes. The little, simple things and childhood memories that made her feel lucky to know him that way-know him as Sora: tan teenage islander who loved playing pranks and swimming and making people laugh.

Not Sora the Chosen One, Sora the Keyblade Wielder. Sora the kid. Sora the goofball. Her best friend.

"Aren't you going back home for dinner? Our families are having it outside together." She folded her hands behind her back and straightened up. "I think...it's because you're back. Because you finished your test, and Riku became a Keyblade Master."

"Huh." Sora blinked a few times into the sunlight, a little drowsy still. He tried to literally shake it off and ended up getting his spiky brown bangs in his eyes. When was the last time he'd had a haircut? And why did he always think of this kinda stuff when Kairi was around?

"They're celebrating," Kairi went on.

"It's been a couple months. That's a little late for a party, right?" Sora was in no hurry to stand up; the sand was warm; better than any blanket, and the sound of the waves, crashing lazily against one another, kept tossing him more yawns and weighing down his eyelids with sleepiness.

"Mm," mumbled Kairi, watching the sunset as she stood beside him, thinking. "So are you coming?"

"What're we having?"

"Chicken Paopu salad and brussel sprouts."

He considered that for a millisecond.

"Uh huh. Well, 'night!" Sora pretended to flop back down and faked a snore or two.

She giggled and nudged him with a shoe. "Oh, come on, get up, lazybones! I know it's not your favorite, but they're working hard making it for you."

Sora sat up again, checking to make sure sand hadn't gotten in his hood and that his crown chain wasn't flipped or pulled too far around his neck, so that the crown was in the right spot and he didn't look dumb. Did he smell a bunch too, sweating in the island heat while he'd slept? Probably. What if he'd snored? Like, real loud snoring? Like Goofy? Yikes.

Kairi would tell him, wouldn't she?

Yet another yawn pushed his mouth open. He stretched.

"We've got a while before we have to leave the island," Kairi said, noticing his drowsiness. "You know. For dinner. So you can rest a little bit more if you want."

Sora entertained the thought for a moment or two.

And then Kairi interrupted, stone-faced, "Don't worry, Sora. I'll keep watch for you while you sleep."

He glanced up at her. "Huh?"

"For Heartless. And nightmares."

Sora felt a rush of fondness for her as he did about eighty times an hour, but he couldn't help teasing, "You?"

Kairi caught his eye and failed to fight back a pretty little smile. "Yes, me! Master Yen Sid called me a Keyblade Wielder too. Remember?"

"Yeah." Sora smirked good-naturedly. "Okay. If you think you can handle it."

He lay back patronizingly, his arms crossed behind his head, but Kairi kicked him gently in the ribs.

"Hey, I can do it! You'd be toast by now-if it weren't for me and Riku, right? When we fought the Organization's Heartless."

She held out her hand, turning her wrist, and summoned her Keyblade.

Sora opened one eye. She was thrusting her weapon at imaginary enemies, feet shuffling clumsily in the sand, knuckles whiter than usual where she gripped the handle.

Sora smiled. "Heh. " He stood up and dusted his clothes off. "Loosen up, Kairi! You're holding it too tight."

Kairi glanced at him, surprised that she might not be doing this properly. Didn't it all just come naturally?

She slackened her hold on the blade's handle, to where it wasn't so uncomfortable, but still felt light and swingable.

"That's it," Sora encouraged. "Hm." He rested his elbow on his other arm and rubbed his chin with a finger and a thumb. "And you're kinda unbalanced."

Kairi put her hands on her hips, Keyblade jutting out awkwardly. "I am not!" she cried indignantly, grinning.

"Oh yeah?" Sora grinned too, more than a little mischievously. He put a palm on the side of her shoulder and pushed just firmly enough.

"Woah!" Kairi stumbled sideways, toe getting stuck beneath a rock hidden by the sand.

She fell-tripped forward and then backward, really, the added weight of the blade making her top-heavy.

Sora caught her under the arms in one smooth step. "Whoops!"

Kairi looked up at him with an embarrassed redness in her cheeks.

"See? See there?" Sora heaved her back onto her feet and wagged a finger at her like Donald sometimes did to Pluto when the mutt took the duck wizard's hat in his mouth as a chew toy. "Unbalanced! You go down in a fight and Heartless are gonna crawl all over you! They're pretty heavy."

"Okay, Master Know-It-All," teased Kairi. "Teach me some more."

Sora blinked, startled. "Wh-me?"

"Or maybe I should go ask Riku!" She leaned forward menacingly, fists on her hips again, her favorite pose.

The sunset was her background, and he had to drag his mind out of the clouds in the face of this dazzling image before responding. The gently flapping hair, the glittering blue eyes, the coy smile...

"U-Uh...No, you win," he said hastily. "Let's do it."

He extended his hand, not even having to close his eyes, and his Keyblade appeared with a flash of light.

Sora basked in Kairi's impressed expression for a second, then stabbed the Key into the dunes.

"Let's start with that balance. Okay?"

"Mm!" Kairi nodded once.

"Don't lock your knees. You can't lock 'em, 'cuz that way I could come up behind you-" he demonstrated, slipping just behind her at arm's length and nudging the back of her knee with a black-blue-yellow shoe. "And kick your legs out from under you. See..."

When he showed her, she staggered forward and dropped into a kneel in the sun-baked sand. The Keyblade landed a few inches away.

Kairi winced with her back to her buddy. It hadn't hurt; she'd fallen at the beach plenty of times. She was just starting to feel really clumsy and pretty ditzy. Experienced, gracefully-skilled Sora must think she was a naive little klutz after all this time.

But when he stepped around in front of her (noticing when she didn't get up right away) pulled her up by a hand, eyebrows dipping with a nervous, "Sorry, Kairi-too rough?" her worries melted and she realized he didn't think of her that way at all. He was too busy making sure she was having a good, comfortable time and that he didn't show off. She could see it all on his face. She knew him that well.

Sora dropped her hand without much blushing; they'd actually clasped hands more than once, so it wasn't an awkward action to either of the teenage adventurers.

"Now try bending them just a little, and see what happens."

Kairi bent her legs a bit and Sora tried nudging her again. It didn't work; she stayed perfectly upright and he was he one who ended up off balance. She was tempted to push him over playfully, but she knew wrestling like they had when they'd played pirates as toddlers could wait.

He had that gleam in his eyes, the one he got when the legendary Keyblade was nestled in his palm. To Sora it was almost like a body part he'd neglected to excersize and had finally readjusted it, such as cracking your neck after looking down too long. It felt just as satisfying there, in its rightful place once again.

"Now that you're not holding it so tight, you wanna go through some figh-"

Sora stopped in mid-suggestion when she swung her blade at him. He ducked immediately and she brought it down again; he parried like there was nothing to it.

"Good try!"

"That was fun!"

"Taking my head off is fun?"

"Yes!"

"Hey!" He beamed when she laughed, and his blade slid rapidly down hers, pushing it to her side and away from him. "You in a hurry, Kairi?"

"Huh?"

"Swinging it around like that."

"It just happened. Like...an itch I had to scratch." She examined the Keyblade thoughtfully. "I had to try it."

Sora nodded. He knew the feeling exactly. "Okay. Here-pretend I'm a Heartless."

He dropped his Keyblade and crouched only slightly, swaying a little and trying to make his face look as blank as a Heartless.

Kairi smothered a chuckle with a hand. "You _were_ a Heartless once! I don't have to pretend!"

"It's that kinda talk that gets you tackled."

"Heartless don't make threats, Sora."

She swung her Keyblade at him.

Sora jumped out of the way at lightning speed. "No-but they can dodge!"

"Hah!" Kairi swung again, just narrowly missing him.

She aimed at his feet next, and he leapt over it like a jumprope, ducking when she attempted to decapitate him again, her legs bent, her grip relaxed. He stepped over another shoeshiner, leaned far left to avoid getting himself cut in half, jumped twice, ducked twice...

Kairi was laughing hard. "Dance, monkey!"

Sora grinned goofily and made a few monkey sounds. "Missed me!"

"There!"

"Missed again!"

"Huh!"

"What's the matter, Kairi? You tired yet?"

"No way!"

"Watch it!"

"You watch it!"

"Woah!"

"Hold still!"

"Okay." Sora halted and straightened up.

Kairi gasped, yelped in surprise at his sudden submission, and quickly drew her swing back before her blade could make contact with his face.

Sora just smiled at her.

Kairi panted in a very unladylike fashion, dropping her Keyblade in the sand beside his.

"Sora. Don't...do that..." she huffed. "I could've hurt you!" She wouldn't look at him.

Sora gave her a tender glance. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist."

"Some Heartless you are," she smirked, trying to mask her awkwardness in the moment. "You didn't even try to hit me."

She was suddenly knocked to the ground with Sora on top of her. He rolled off as soon as they were in the sand.

"Hey!" Kairi exclaimed.

"They catch you by surprise," he said, holding up a finger. "You gotta be ready."

"I am now," Kairi told him. "Thanks to you."

Sora shrugged. "No problem, Kairi."

They sat there side by side, Sora picking up a handful of sand and letting it fall through his fingers. The waves were calmer than ever and the sun had set almost completely by now.

"Sorry if I hurt you," Sora broke the silence with confidence.

Kairi elbowed him. "You didn't."

"I wonder who'll be the next Keyblade Master-me or you?"

"You."

"You're pretty great already."

"It's you."

"With some more practice, you'll-"

"You're next."

"Gee, Kairi, take a compliment."

She was running out of various giggles. Their Keyblades shimmered into white light and flashed out of existence for the moment. Then she fell silent and glanced at him quickly.

"If you become a Master...before me...then you'll have to go away again. Won't you?"

"Huh?" Sora's head came up. He looked at his feet for a moment, eyelids lowering gloomily. "Yeah. Prob'ly. If I become a Master anytime soon, it'll be because-somewhere-someone-really needs my help."

"But if I pass, I can go with you."

Sora grunted, not bitterly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You think I'll still be in your way?"

Sora's highly-contagious smile returned, but only a smaller, faded version. "Well..."

"Who says you won't be in my way?"

He chortled, and they were quiet again.

After a while, as the beach grew darker, Sora finally said, "It's not that."

Kairi looked at him again, face half hidden by her hair.

"It's like this. If you're with me all the time, I won't be so...focused."

He paused, thinking of how else to explain it. He wasn't nervous about what she'd think. To him, if there was something important you could say to someone even more important, you had to say it. It was only right. The troubling part was how to construct it so that it made sense, once it was out and ready to examine.

"I'll be worried about protecting you. Worried about the decisions I make while you're part of the...the...equation. If you're here-I have something to go back to. I have somewhere I'm trying to be. Someone I can fight for. All those worlds I went to...Hearts I freed...I only got through it because I knew-when it was over-Kairi was waiting for me at the island. And I promised I'd come back."

Kairi felt her smile grow with every word he said. She was immensely flattered. Out of all the girls on the island, all the princesses in those other worlds, all the different, wonderful people he must have seen, she was the one he cared about. And she'd known it, of course. It was unspoken between the two of them-not complicated, not hidden from each other due to self-consciousness. Just there, like the sky and the sea and the town. Like their heartbeats, like inhaling oxygen. They didn't talk wonderingly about it and work it over in their heads for days. They just knew it was there, and they didn't hide it. Why should they? What was so humiliating about it? It was a good thing.

And this Chosen One, this incredibly special, suntanned, lanky, ocean-eyed Keyblade Wielder-the one who would change the world-needed her. Kairi. Who knew?

Sora was thinking the same thing, only switched around. Pretty Kairi, a Princess of Heart, sweet and fun-filled and self-confident and dark-haired and all-around fantastic...wanted to spend time with him?

"Someone called you my Light once, I think," Sora said quietly. "They're right."

She blinked at him, a little starstruck by that revelation.

"What would I be without you, huh, Kairi?" He crossed his arms over his drawn-up knees and cocked his head at her, childish smile making him glow.

"Lazy," she decided after a moment of tapping her chin. "And what would I be without you?"

"Um..." Sora blinked a few times, actually thinking about it, as if he couldn't think of any inconvenience for someone like her in not knowing someone like him.

"Really really bored?" he tried.

Kairi laughed and he felt he could listen to it for hours.

Then she leaned over and have him a small kiss on the cheek. "Lost."

She stood up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Sora felt his cheek with a gloved hand and stared out across the waves, suddenly mute.

"Come on, silly," Kairi smiled, beginning to walk away. "Dinner time."

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**(Well! I hope you liked it. Reviews are adored, thoroughly appreciated, and often responded to. Tell me how I can improve with Kingdom Hearts fanfics! I'm sure it would help. Ah...and as an odd little sidenote, I listened to various versions and covers of Oasis' _Wonderwall_. ~Doverstar)**


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